Can you record streaming audio on Android?
Streaming audio has become increasingly popular in recent years with the rise of platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, and more. Streaming allows users to listen to virtually any song or podcast instantly without having to purchase and download the audio files. While streaming offers convenience and access, users may still want to record streaming audio for various reasons.
Recording streaming audio can allow you to listen offline when you don’t have an internet connection. It also allows you to keep copies of your favorite music, radio shows, or podcast episodes. You may want to record streaming audio to sample and remix music, archive live streams, or convert streaming files to other formats. Overall, recording from streaming platforms gives users more control over the audio content they access.
Is It Legal?
The legality of recording streaming audio depends on the copyright protections and terms of service for the source you are recording from. In general, recording streaming audio for personal use is legal in the UK as determined by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. However, distributing copies of copyrighted recordings without permission is prohibited.
According to the Noteburner article, recording streamed content for non-commercial use does not violate copyright law. The exception is content from sources that explicitly prohibit recording, such as certain online concerts or audiobook services.
Just Web World notes that while recording streaming audio for personal use is typically legal, it may be subject to limitations based on the terms of service of the streaming provider. They advise checking the terms of service of any source you want to record from.
In summary, recording streaming audio for personal, non-commercial use is generally permissible under UK law. However, it’s important to respect any usage restrictions from the streaming source. Commercial use or distribution of recordings may require licensing.
Apps That Allow Recording
Many popular streaming audio apps allow you to record the audio being played. Here are some of the top apps that have recording capabilities:
YouTube Music – YouTube’s official music streaming app lets you record songs, playlists, and music videos. Tap the 3-dot menu while playing a song, then choose “Record song” to save it.[1]
Spotify – Spotify’s free mobile app includes the ability to record music. Tap the 3-dot menu during playback and select “Record” to save the song. Upgrade to Spotify Premium to record multiple tracks.[1]
Amazon Music – Amazon’s streaming app allows recording songs and albums. Open the playback options menu and tap “Record” to save tracks.[2]
SoundCloud – This popular audio platform lets you record audio and music directly in the app. Tap the record icon to save tracks and playlists.[2]
Pandora – Pandora’s streaming radio app has a built-in recorder. Tap the thumbs up button during playback and select “Record Song” to save music.[2]
Audible – Amazon’s audiobook app allows recording narration and chapters. Open playback options and choose “Record” to save parts of books.[2]
Using Third-Party Apps
There are many third-party apps available for Android that allow you to record audio from streaming services. Some popular options include:
Audials Music Recorder (https://www.audials.com/en/products/music-recorder/) – This app lets you record audio streams from services like Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, and more. It captures the audio in high quality formats like MP3, M4A, or WMA.
OC Recorder (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ocexist.ocrecorder&hl=en&gl=US) – OC Recorder can record audio from any app on your Android device. It can record calls, music, podcasts, YouTube, and other audio sources.
Audio Recorder Pro (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dp.audiorecorderpro&hl=en&gl=US) – This recorder allows you to save streams as high quality MP3 files. It also includes editing tools to trim or crop your recordings.
These third-party apps provide an easy way to capture audio from streaming services. They offer advanced recording options and high quality audio formats. Just be sure to only use them legally and ethically when recording copyrighted streams.
Recording with Your Phone
Most Android phones come with a built-in voice recorder app that allows you to record audio easily. Here’s how to use your phone’s native tools to record streaming audio:
On Samsung Galaxy devices, open the Voice Recorder app and tap the red Record button to start recording. You can then play back audio from apps on your phone and the voice recorder will capture the audio. Just remember to keep the Voice Recorder app open. Tap Stop when you are done recording (source).
For other Android phones like Google Pixel, open the Recorder app and select Audio as the recording format. Tap Record to start capturing audio, including any streaming audio playing in the background. Press Stop when finished. The Recorder app will save the recording to your phone (source).
So using your Android phone’s built-in recording apps is an easy way to capture streaming audio without any extra software. Just start recording and then play the audio you want to save.
Recording from Computer
One convenient way to record streaming audio on your Android device is by using your computer as an intermediary. There are a few different approaches you can take:
You can use desktop apps like Movavi Screen Recorder to capture any audio playing through your computer. This allows you to record audio from music streaming sites, YouTube videos, games, and more. The audio will be saved as a file on your computer which you can then transfer to your Android device.
Another option is to use a physical audio cable like a 3.5mm aux cable to connect your computer’s audio output to your Android device’s audio input. You can then record directly on your Android device whatever audio is playing on your computer. This method provides a lossless transfer without compression.
For wireless streaming, apps like AudioRelay allow you to stream audio over WiFi from your computer to your Android device. This turns your Android into a wireless speaker capable of playing any desktop audio.
With the right desktop apps and cables, your computer can be a helpful tool for recording streaming audio to enjoy on your Android phone or tablet.
Storing Your Recordings
When recording streaming audio on your Android device, the audio files are typically stored in the internal storage under a dedicated folder. The default voice recorder app on your Android phone usually creates a “Recordings” or “Sound Recorder” folder to store your audio files (1).
For example, on Samsung devices, recordings may be saved in a folder called “Voice Recorder” within the internal storage. On Google Pixel phones, recordings are often stored in a “Sound Recorder” folder (2). The exact location can vary by device and app.
If using a third-party recording app from the Google Play Store, the app will usually create its own folder to store recordings. This keeps them organized separately from other audio files on your device.
To locate recordings, open the Files app on your Android device, go to Internal Storage, and look for the folder name associated with the recorder app. You can play back, share, rename or delete files as needed.
Some apps allow you to customize the storage location, so you can save recordings to external SD card storage for more space. Overall, Android makes it simple to store your recordings internally and access them later.
(1) https://robots.net/tech/where-does-android-voice-recorder-store-files/
(2) https://www.quora.com/Where-are-the-voice-recorder-files-in-Android
Audio Quality
The audio quality of recordings from streaming services on Android devices can vary greatly depending on the app used, the streaming service, and the audio encoding. According to audiophile discussions on Reddit, What streaming service has the best audio quality?, Quobuz offers the highest audio quality for streaming music, providing lossless CD-quality FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. However, this requires a higher-tier subscription.
More commonly used services like Spotify and Apple Music use compressed formats like AAC at 320kbps for their highest quality streaming tier, which is decent but not lossless. The Auris blog notes in Top 8 Music Streaming Services With High Quality Audio that while the bitrates may be similar between services, the encoding algorithms can impact quality. Testing different apps to compare is recommended.
Overall, audio quality is dependent on the original source file’s encoding. While high bitrate lossless audio provides the theoretical maximum, unless you are listening on high-end audiophile equipment, 320kbps should often be sufficient from a practical perspective for most listeners according to What HiFi’s review of streaming services. Regardless, recording from any streaming service will be a compressed copy of the original source audio.
Sharing Your Recordings
Once you’ve recorded streaming audio on your Android device, you may want to share it with others. There are a few different ways to go about this:
Many recording apps like AZ Screen Recorder allow you to directly share your recordings to social media or messaging apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. This provides a quick and easy way to get your recording out to friends and followers.
You can also share the audio file itself via email, messaging apps, cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox, etc. First save the recording to your device storage or SD card. Then use your device’s built-in sharing capabilities to upload the file to cloud storage or attach it to an email or message.
If you want to retain the best audio quality, consider transferring the recording to a computer first before sharing. Connect your Android device to your computer via USB and locate the audio file using your file browser. Then you can upload it to a dedicated audio sharing platform like SoundCloud to share the highest quality recording.
When sharing recordings of streaming audio, be mindful of any copyright restrictions. Avoid sharing commercial music or other content without permission from the rights holder.
Conclusion
In summary, it is possible to record streaming audio on Android devices using both built-in options and third-party apps. The legality depends on the content being recorded and how it is used. While apps like Audials or Android’s native Smart Voice Recorder provide easy recording options, dedicated audio recorders can provide higher quality recordings. Storing and sharing recordings may require converting to common formats like MP3. When recording streaming audio, be mindful of copyrights and only use recordings for personal archival purposes. In the end, Android offers flexible options to capture streaming audio for many potential needs.
